Berandi

Appearance: Berandi is 5'7" tall. Her shoulder-length light-brown hair is held back by a beaded net while she works, swept upwards and kept in place by jewelled combs on festive occasions. Her sharp blue eyes indicate the shrewd intellect behind them as she sizes up new acquaintances and deduces when to hold the price of her tailored goods and when to come down a bit. She dresses to match or complement her eyes, though not as elaborately as her wealthier customers.

Personality: Berandi is a highly competent tailor, and places a high value on her goods and herself. Her parents, being both younger children of minor holders, never approved of her marriage to a mere cot-holder with no craft affiliation. So while Berandi adores her handsome spouse, she's always felt she had to prove his worth to her parents. Without breathing a word to Brettan and his two siblings, she is quietly manoeuvring to form a minor hold out of the three cot-holds, in the hope that her son Brand will eventually become the lord holder.

She sounds devious, perhaps, but she believes the larger unit will be to everybody's benefit, and she certainly means none of the others any harm. So she advises on projects for the common good, encourages cooperation, hires helpers with useful skills. And in the long run, she'll support whoever's best for the job. It would just be nice if that person was Brand --- or maybe her youngest child, Ettran.

History: Berandi was born in Southern Boll to journeyman weavers Anders and Bertrila, who moved to Arolos 25 turns ago to help start the southern Weavercraft Hall. She apprenticed there at the age of 12 turns, then took a post at Arolos Hold after she walked the tables. One Midsummer Gather she met a handsome cot-holder named Brettan. They danced all night, drank wine together, things got out of hand --- as often happens at Gathers --- and shortly afterwards they got married. Within 2 turns they had a son, Brand, and a daughter, Bettani.

Brettan built his little family a sturdy cothold on top of the ridge behind and between the Harper Hall and the Seacrafters' Hall. They lived on the food they grew, and Brettan went fishing with his brother to supplement their diet. Berandi looked for tailoring work and found enough to do at the local craft-halls. She began making plans for the future. Brettan's brother Kartan and sister Tanima lived on either side of her new home, which she now saw as the potential nucleus of a much bigger hold. Brettan was a good provider but lacking in ambition; neither Kartan nor Tanima had any sons; but possibly Brand could one day lead an amalgamation of the three cot-holds, even become a Lord Holder! And little Bettani, who quickly showed signs of growing up to be a beauty, could possibly be married in due time to a Lord Holder's son or a prosperous crafter.

It didn't work out that way, of course. Brand was pleased at the thought of being a minor lord holder some day, but he had no more ambition than his father. He apprenticed at the Seacrafters' Hall for a turn --- that craft being considered useful training for people living along the Arolos coast --- but lost interest once he'd absorbed the basics. And while he was at the Hall he made friends with an apprentice called Jesper, who visited the cot over the next few years and won Bettani's heart. Two more daughters, Tandi and Beretta, were born, with probably more to come. Berandi decided to put her plans on hold for the time being, and see if any of the younger children were more amenable.

Then came the Year of the Drought, when it was difficult to grow or even buy food, and few people had money to spare for fine tailoring. The family barely survived the resulting famine, mainly by fishing and foraging for edibles along the sea-shore. At least Brand's basic training at the Seacrafters' Hall was useful for something! But they did survive and are doing well now, and making much-needed repairs and renovations to the cot. Another son, Ettran, was born after the Famine.

Berandi bowed to the inevitable and agreed to a betrothal between Bettani and Jesper after he walked the tables. Having trained her daughter in tailoring, to the point where she needed to spend time in the crafthall, Berandi hired a young woman called Leaf to mind the three younger children so that Bettani could go to the Tailor Craft-hall to finish her training. When Ettran was old enough for Harper lessons, Leaf returned to the Weyr for a job in the Creche, was Searched for the latest Clutch, and Impressed.

The hold was damaged during the volcano eruption, but is once again in full production.

Information about Berandi's pets

Pet Name: Curtine

Pet Type: Runnerbeast

Appearance: Curtine is a sturdy black cob, big enough to pull a light cart, which is her function in life. She is 15 turns old, and was bought to replace Gentle, Berandi's previous draft-beast, which didn't survive the volcano eruption.

Personality: This well-behaved runner plods along steadily with cart-loads of fabric-colts, finished clothing, kindling, or food-stuffs, from cot to Hall to Hold, with hardly a complaint. She will even carry a rider, but is not the most comfortable of rides. Berandi's lucky to have her, as there was a shortage of runner-beasts after the volcano eruption.

Information about Berandi's craft

Craft: TailorCraft Rank: Journeyman

All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are
copyrightę Anne McCaffrey 1967,2005, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the
author.

The Dragonriders of Pern« is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by
Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is
strictly prohibited.